Archive of Our Own

"Ice Mountain Teru" is my favorite singer.

His stage name sounds like something a boomer would pick out, I know.

But his voice is just so... nice. It's like a drug. I can't stop listening to it.

He is a little underground... none of my friends know him or his band, which is called Ice Mountain. Of course it is... Well, he did debut 3 months ago, and honestly, it kind of cringes me to call him that name.

My name is Yuuma. I am also a singer.

And my stage name is way cooler than his.

You can't compare "VY2" to "Ice Mountain Teru"! He was doomed from the beginning.

That is why he SHOULD ANSWER MY DMS!!!!!!!!! HE ISN'T THAT FAMOUS TO BE IGNORING ME!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE MORE FOLLOWERS THAN HIM!!!!!!

I asked him if he would like to duet with me. It's been a month since I asked. Fuck this guy, honestly. Who does he think he is not to text me back?

Three months ago, a guy transferred right next to Yuuma's apartment. His name is Hiyama Kiyoteru and he's a math teacher. That is all Yuuma knows about him.

His routine, though... is a strange one.

Kiyoteru's alarm at 6AM keeps waking Yuuma up. He was never a heavy sleeper, but maybe the guy next door is. Because Yuuma could bet that Kiyoteru kept that damned alarm at full volume. The walls can't be this thin!

Then he leaves the apartment at 7:30am to come home at 4pm. Nothing strange with that. He stays indoors most of the time, or at least, Yuuma doesn't hear him leave the apartment much after work.

The weird thing is that, every night, at exactly 9pm, the man leaves his place.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! It isn't Yuuma's business after all. But... which elementary teacher leaves home at 9pm and comes back at 4am ON A SCHOOL NIGHT??? Kiyoteru must be insane. Does he even get some sleep???

"Oi, Mizki. He's leaving his apartment again at this hour!" Yuuma called out to the girl who was making herself a sandwich right now at the kitchen counter.

"Gosh, Yuuma." Mizki started with a huff. "This is getting kinda creepy. You should stop doing this shit."

Yuuma rolled his eyes. "You're so boring." he lamented as he took his ear off the door. Yuuma couldn't really deny it though, since 'eavesdropping' like this was odd. "There is nothing wrong in being curious."

"Are you obsessed with him or something?" Mizki finally asked with a raised eyebrow before she took a bite out of her peanutbutter jelly sandwich.

"What? No! No. Absolutely not. Not at all." Yuuma was quick to deny with his arms crossed, even if his high-pitched tone didn't make him too convincing. "He's cute, yeah, but I'm just curious. Can't I be? This elementary teacher is out for the whole night on school nights. I think anyone would be curious about such suspicious behavior."

That was a lot of excuses to Mizki. "Why don't you," *chomp.* "you know," *chomp.* "just ask him?" Mizki asked as she took bites out the sandwich in between of her sentence.

"We are just acquaintances. It's not like I can ask him about something this private..." Yuuma replicated with a sigh. Mizki never really helped sometimes.

"I guess." She just shrugged, finally finishing her sandwich and then washing her hands. "Then just befriend him."

"Too much work!" He countered, shaking his head. He didn't think he was curious TO that point.

"Slacker."

"HEY!"

"Oh, Yuuma! Nice to see you!" Kiyoteru greeted Yuuma along with a wave.

Maybe he IS this curious. Because he was literally waiting for Kiyoteru right outside their apartments, leaning against the wall with a pose he thought was cool, but actually just screamed his plan out loud. This guy didn't really have a good poker face.

"Good afternoon, Kiyoteru." Yuuma greeted back with the face of someone who was already regretting this interaction. "Are you free later? We could, uh, have dinner together! To get to know each other better, of course." he then proposed with a shaky smile.

"Let me check my agenda..." Kiyoteru was quick to answer, grabbing his agenda from his bag. He didn't have anything to do tonight... well, not really. But he could easily cancel a * certain thing * for this time. Getting to know someone new was always a pleasure to the man. "Looks like I'm free!"

"Nice. Then I'll see you later." Yuuma replied, pushing himself off the wall. "I'll make us something." he then offered, regretting it instantly. What was he supposed to cook to someone he didn't know almost anything about???

"Really? That's so nice of you!" Kiyoteru blushed waving his hand in the air. "Then I'll bring something too. I can't let you do all the work."

"Oh, there is no need..." Yuuma's cheeks puffed. "I offered you dinner after all..."

"Don't be silly. It's not a problem for me." Kiyoteru reassured the other, before unlocking the door of his apartment. "See you later then, Yuuma!"

"Ah, later, Kiyo..." Yuuma waved, taking a deep breath once Kiyoteru closed the door behind himself. How did the situation degenerate this MUCH? The pink haired guy dug his hands in his pockets as he slowly realized how little time he had to come up with something for tonight.

I mean, 4 hours could never be enough to plan a perfect dinner for the cute guy next door!

Yuuma retreated in his apartment and the first thing he did was call Mizki.

After being made fun of by Mizki, Yuuma got to work. Luckily, he went shopping for groceries the day before, so he had everything he needed.

He settled for a steak with baked potatoes on the side. It wasn't much but it could do the thing.

After he set the table and the food, a knock could be heard from the front door. So he hurried over to open it.

And of course, behind it was Kiyoteru with that stupid grin of his.

"Thank you again for inviting me over, Yuuma." Kiyoteru nodded as he stepped inside once Yuuma made him way. "I brought some cake as dessert!"

"You really didn't have to." Yuuma shook his head, gently grabbing the cake from Kiyoteru once it was held out towards him, putting it away in the fridge for later.

The two then sat at the table and started their lovely dinner (with Absolutely Zero Romantic Intentions).

The steak was good and the baked potatoes were even better. Yuuma had forgotten how good he is at cooking. Usually, it was Mizki who cooked, since she was always crashing at his place.

"You're a great cook, Yuuma. I enjoyed dinner a lot!" Kiyoteru said as he took a bite out of the strawberry shortcake he got for dessert. It reminded him of Yuuma, so he had to get it. Plus, it was from Natsuki's bakery, so it was extra yummy.

"There's no need to be complimenting me, Kiyoteru." Yuuma said with a shrug, even if deep down he loved to be complimented. Especially when it came from brown haired cuties.

"But I want to compliment you." Kiyoteru shot back with an unapologetic tone of voice, at which Yuuma rolled his eyes.

They moved to the couch once they finished their slice of cake, chatting about anything that came to mind.

A certain topic finally got its time to be discussed.

Music, obviously.

"I am in a band, actually." Yuuma flaunted.

"Oh, really?" Kiyoteru tilted his head in curiosity.

"Yup. It's me, my sister Mizki and her girlfriend IA. We debuted a few years back, but we're still pretty underground." Yuuma explained, at which Kiyoteru listened with interest.

"I never have much time to listen to music, so unfortunately I never stumbled across your band. But I'll surely give it a listen!" The man said with a smile. Of course he didn't have much time. He probably used all his free time for school work and * secret sketchy stuff * late at night.

"It's fine, it's fine." Yuuma nodded, a thought popping in his head. Kiyoteru surely wouldn't know Ice Mountain Teru. How could he when he never listened to music? Though, Yuuma wanted to try mentioning him.

"Have you ever heard of Ice Mountain Teru? He absolutely is my favorite singer of all times." Yuuma tested and Kiyoteru certainly didn't fail. He noticed the slight change of expression in the man... one of recognition.

"Ah... Ice Mountain Teru? Yes, I have heard of him. He is a nice singer, yes." Kiyoteru answered, but a good listener would recognize the nervousness in his voice. Yuuma didn't comment on it. He ignored the really faint blush on the man's cheeks as well.

"For real? His voice is so... powerful." Yuuma started, because once the topic came, he couldn't just stop talking about his favorite singer. "I don't get how he does it. How he can be so effortlessly cool. And only by his voice! He never posted a photo of himself. Well, he is new to this... so of course he wouldn't. Newcomers always prefer to stay anonymous, I guess! Bla bla bla bla bla..."

Yuuma went on and on with his rambling about Ice Mountain Teru. Does he ever shut up??? This guy was TOO obsessed.

He noticed something though, in the midst of his yapping. Kiyoteru never stopped paying attention to him. This was new! Usually others would be zoning out right now. But he... he was actually listening. It made Yuuma kind of happy.

Half an hour later, Yuuma was silent. After all that talking his throat was sore. So now his mouth was occupied with a cold glass of water.

It gave Kiyoteru time to finally speak.

"I, uh, have heard from trusted sources that Ice Mountain Teru is going to host a concert with his band around here soon." Kiyoteru called out to Yuuma, who chocked on his glass of water.

"WHAT!?" He yelled from the kitchen, sprinting to Kiyoteru in the living room. "You're joking. Right!?"

"I'm not! I swear!" Kiyoteru answered with a smile, finding the way Yuuma was freaking out kind of adorable. "He should post something about it either tomorrow or in the next days."

"You're just making fun of me now, come on." Yuuma retorted, hands on his hips. How could Kiyoteru know more than him about his favorite singer!?! He must have connections with the guy. Amazing...

"Do you take me for a liar, Yuuma?" Kiyoteru countered, crossing his arms.

"No, I don't..." Yuuma thought out loud, visibly trying to piece everything together in his mind. "And it's probably going to be a free concert. Well, everybody starts somewhere, yeah..."

"But... wait..."

"Around here, you said?"

"Yes, around here. Why?" Kiyoteru cluelessly tilted his head. Why would this information ever catch Yuuma's attention?

"Then... that means we live in the same city!" Yuuma beamed once he realized. This was incredible! He and his favorite singer lived in the same city! They were so close...! Every single day, Yuuma could have walked right next to his idol without knowing it was him. "This is like a dream come true...!" he chirped, hopping back on the couch next to Kiyoteru who giggled at him.

Around midnight the two exchanged their "good night"s, finally separating. It didn't go bad, not at all! Yuuma actually enjoyed himself. Kiyoteru was truly pleasant to be around.

And the next day, around 5pm, a post appeared on Yuuma's TL from Ice Mountain Teru: information on his upcoming concert. It will take place in a week from now. Yuuma couldn't believe that Kiyoteru was actually right about this. It felt unbelievable to him.

Of course, it isn't going to be anything big, for sure. The singer debuted 3 months ago and it was a free concert in a small venue. He was still excited about it though, since he was finally going to meet one of his biggest inspirations in these 3 months of his existence.

"He invited you over for DINNER!? For reals!?"

"Yes! I swear! And not only that. He... is a fan of ours. W-Well, especially of mine..."

"No. Way." Haruto was absolutely astonished. Kiyoteru had never seen him this wide-eyed in shock. "How can this be possible? It feels too perfect to be real!"

"I know, right?" Kiyoteru agreed, disheartened. It felt weird that anything hasn't still gone wrong since their dinner night. The concert is only 5 days away and Kiyoteru felt so anxious about it.

Right now it's lunch time and Kiyoteru is eating with his coworker, and keyboardist of his band, Haruto. He's a nice guy and a good friend overall. A bit airheaded at times. Talking with him always makes Kiyoteru feel better, though.

"I'm scared something will go wrong." Kiyoteru finally admitted, a deep sigh following his sentence. He didn't want to fumble the handsome pink-haired guy next door, you know?

"I don't think you should worry too much about that." Haruto was quick to reassure. "Especially when you're his favorite singer..."

"I guess you're right..." Kiyoteru let out a soft sigh, before he got up from the table. "Want coffe? I can get you some."

"Sure!" Haruto answered with a grin.

If Kiyoteru had to be honest, Yuuma had caught his eyes since the first day they met. It was inevitable. He clearly wasn't like the others. His style... his hair... that handsome face of his... nothing Kiyoteru had the pleasure of seeing often in his daily life.

Maybe that is why he didn't tell Yuuma the truth right then.

Kiyoteru didn't want Yuuma to think of his idol as a lame math elementary teacher.

"Here's your coffee"

"Thanks!"

Yuuma wondered why Mizki and IA always invited him to their dates.

Or, better, wondered why all their reunions for the band turned into their dates.

"Ugh..." That's when Yuuma grabbed his phone and opened Instagram. Upon checking if Ice Mountain Teru ever decided to grace him with an answer, he noticed that...

He.

Ghosted him.

"No. Way. There is NO way."

"What happened?"

"He left me on seen!" Yuuma threw his phone in the pocket of his jacket and proceeded to pout.

"Are you joking???" Mizki asked, looking strangely shocked. She never seemed too interested in Yuuma's matters with the people he liked. "What a bum!"

"Yeah!" IA agreed with a nod. "He doesn't deserve our HOLY presence at his concert. I am telling you."

"Agreed. We shouldn't go." Mizki supported IA's proposition, like always. The two were always in agreement.

"Wait... no, what?" Yuuma wasn't okay with this though. Not at all! He wasn't going to lose the chance of meeting Teru. "We're still going."

"But he ghosted you." Mizki quickly objected. Seemed like she cared about Yuuma a lot more than she usually showed.

"Never heard of people saying 'never meet your heroes'?" IA added to Mizki's argument. "What if he's mean IRL?"

"He isn't. I-I mean, maybe he will reply later! Maybe he's just checking us out." Yuuma tried to justify. The concert is in 4 days after all. And, on top of it all, he didn't want to throw all the time he spent listening to that man in the drain because he is 'mean'.

"Yeah, checking if we're worth his attention." Mizki rolled her eyes. It wasn't her first time in claiming that Teru was a 'busy man' just to mock him.

"If he doesn't reply tomorrow, we're not going." IA suggested, crossing her arms.

"...Fine." Yuuma begrudgingly gave in, huffing.

3 days until the concert.

No reply.

"So we're not going!" IA declared, leaning back on Yuuma's couch. Again, why were they always crashing at his place??? This apartment isn't an hotel.

"I am going." Yuuma countered. Again, he wasn't going to lose any chances in meeting Teru.

"All alone?" Mizki was quick to tease, leaning closer to IA, ultimately resting her head against the woman's shoulder. "Hmmm... why don't you ask Kiyoteru?~"

"W. Wha." Yuuma was taken aback by the advice, his cheeks now had a slight pinkish tint on them. "...No."

Mizki and IA exchanged deadpanned looks.

"Why not, though?" IA questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We thought you liked him!" Mizki insisted with the teasing, a devilish smirk on her face, to which IA couldn't resist, pulling her even closer.

"I. I don't like him." Yuuma uttered in irritation. Yuuma didn't like him. At all. Well, not as nothing more! Yeah. Exactly. He liked the man as a friend.

"You... invited him to dinner." IA reminded Yuuma, to which he winched. Yeah. That's true. He didn't even know why he did! He wasn't interested in him. No way! No way.

"That doesn't matter."

...

After 10 seconds of silence Yuuma spoke up again. "...Fine. I'll ask him."

"See?" "You like him~" IA and Mizki chirped in sync.

"SHUT IT!!!"

After having slammed the door behind himself, finally getting away from the two girls' teases, Yuuma could take a deep breath.

He looked over at Kiyoteru's apartment's front door. It took him a lot of willpower to actually move in front of it and he hesitated a bit more before knocking.

"Coming!" Could be heard from inside the apartment. After a few seconds of waiting Kiyoteru finally opened the door. He looked happy to see Yuuma. "Oh, Yuuma! Come in, come in. I'll make us some coffee."

"There is no need..." A flustered Yuuma muttered, who was blushing because almost no one ever looked this joyful to see him.

"It's always the same story with you... come on in." Kiyoteru sighed, grabbing Yuuma's hand and pulling the guy inside.

Kiyoteru brought Yuuma to his couch, letting him sit on it comfortably. Then he quickly went to make coffee for the both of them. Yuuma in the meanwhile looked around, checking out the man's apartment. As for size, it was the exact same as his one. It was just a lot neater. Yuuma was pretty self-conscious about his place, and sometimes it got SO messy that he couldn't even walk around in it.

Since Kiyoteru is such the tidy person he could help him clean up once or twice... and with a certain payback for it...~

...

...

...

No. Scratch that. Bad idea. What even was that. Yuuma get it together.

Finally snapping out of his absolutely pure thoughts, Yuuma went back to analyzing the room. It was simple overall. A few plants as decorations here and there, some nice wall decors and a few framed photos around the room. Kiyoteru looked cute in those. Then he noticed a big stack of papers on his desk. Was that... all the homework he needed to review? Being a teacher surely wasn't easy.

That is probably all he did after coming back from work. Did he ever have any time for himself? Especially when his nightly outings took a lot of his time as well.

Maybe that depended on * what * he does during those outings. He tried to think about it, but nothing reasonable came up to mind. Especially when Kiyoteru didn't seem the type of person that enjoyed doing * those * kind of things. Or maybe he was that type of person? Nobody assured Yuuma that this guy was innocent and pure.

...

Okay. He should stop having such thoughts. And in Kiyoteru's apartment too.

Finally Kiyoteru came back with their coffees, so Yuuma's thoughts could stop diverging from his actual goal.

"Thank you..." he said as he got passed his cup of coffee. He looked down at it and by the look of it Kiyoteru seemed to have nailed it. Yuuma liked his coffee with a little bit of milk in it.

"You're welcome." Kiyoteru answered smiling, sitting next to Yuuma on the couch. "I made sure to not put any sugar in yours!"

The only question that popped in Yuuma's mind was 'how does he know I don't like sugar in it?'

"Nice."

"What's the reason of your visit?" Kiyoteru asked as he took a sip of his own coffee. "I don't get visits often, so it's a nice change!" He added. The only ones that sometimes paid him a visit were Akito and Natsuki, the only ones who had a job different from being a teacher inside the band. Kiyoteru knew how busy a teacher's life could be, so he never complained about the fact that both Haruto and Tohma didn't visit him. He would like that though, even if it wasn't that necessary. They met plenty of times outside.

"Ah... right. I wanted to ask you something, actually." Yuuma began, finishing his coffee in a sip so he could have time to form the sentence in his head.

"Uh. Remember that you mentioned something about that concert?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Do you. Uhm. Want to go with me?"

.

.

.

Kiyoteru was taken aback, but soon his expression looked sad. "I'm sorry, Yuuma... I'm busy that day."

"It's fine, don't worry!" Yuuma quickly put up a nonchalant front, even if he was deeply disappointed inside. He really had to go alone, huh?

"I'm really sorry, Yuuma..." Kiyoteru sighed, feeling bad. But he couldn't really show up at Ice Mountain's concert as a fan when He IS Ice Mountain Teru!

"I said it's fine, trust me. I'll find someone else to go with!"

Even if he was going alone, that didn't mean that shopping for a new outfit wasn't a must. And Yuuma needed the best outfit ever so he could impress Teru.

"Hmm..."

Today, finding cool clothes that contained pink in them seemed impossible. Where are all the nice shirts??? Yuuma didn't want to give up wearing something pink for this occasion. Pink was what made him himself!

Grey too, but that was easy to find. Grey was overall a cool color.

"Oi, look. Isn't that...?" The redhead spoke.

"Wait. It is." The brunette nodded.

"Oh god... it must be him!" The blond almost beamed.

"Hellooo~ are you having any problems, sir?" The blond called out to Yuuma, waving his hand in the air, approaching him.

"Ah... uh... well..." Yuuma was absolutely dumbfounded. Who the hell is this guy??? He doesn't look like an employee... not at all. "I... uh... I'm having trouble finding pink stuff, yeah..."

"Oh, really! Well, I happened to have noticed some pink clothes at the other side of the shop. That stuff was pretty cool." The two that were with the blond finally reached his side, probably feeling a little embarrassed of his behavior. I mean, why would he approach a 'stranger' like this!? And so loudly too! "But firstly, let's get to know each other! My name is Haruto, and they're Akito and Natsuki!"

"I-I'm Yuuma..." Yuuma mumbled, their names sounded very familiar. And with a few seconds of doing 2+2 he understood why they did. "Wait. Wait a second. Haruto? Natsuki???... AKITO!? Y-you- You're-"

Haruto giggled at the sight of Yuuma turning into a shaky leaf. "Yep! We are members of Ice Mountain! Incredible, I know."

"T-There is no way..." Yuuma was absolutely frozen in his spot.

"Umh, I think we should make him sit somewhere." Natsuki intervened at which Akito nodded.

"There should be a bench outside the shop."

"Nice!"

Yuuma, finally calm, was sitting in between of Haruto and Akito, the keyboardist and the leader of the band respectively. Natsuki, the drummer, was next to Akito, leaning on him. He couldn't believe he got spoiled the appearance of THREE members of Ice Mountain two days before the concert!

He was bummed that Ice Mountain Teru himself wasn't present, but whatever.

"Don't worry! We will help you pick out an outfit that Teru will love!~" Haruto teased playfully, at which Yuuma blushed. How did he know that Teru was his favorite!? This felt suspicious. This was either a case of stalking or Ice Mountain Teru told them about his request of a duet. Kind of embarrassing either way...

"H-How... How did you......... you know what, whatever." Yuuma started, getting up from the bench with a kind of determination. "Let's j-just go, yeah?"

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Haruto beamed, getting up a few nanoseconds after Yuuma and pulling him along towards the shop again.

"Uwah!" Yuuma yelped.

"He truly never changes......" Natsuki facepalmed.

Until now, the guys proposed such bangers to wear for the concert. They truly knew what was up!

As of right now, Yuuma's new outfit consisted of a pale pink shirt with a few torns here and there, a grey jacket which fit snuggly around Yuuma's form and grey pants, not too baggy but not too skinny. It was fire, really.

"Hey, Yuu! What do you think about this one?" Haruto asked as he appeared behind Yuuma in the dressing room, and since he had done this a few times already Yuuma was unsurprised by the lack of respect of his privacy. What held in his hands DID take him aback, though. It was a skirt. A pink one, the same shade as his shirt, at least.

"U-Uh, are you sure...? I mean, I already have these pants to wear." Yuuma rebutted, and he surely wouldn't swap pants for a skirt, even if it would've fit him nicely.

"Silly, you can wear it on TOP of the pants!" Haruto nodded along with a stupid grin, now putting the skirt in front of Yuuma's hips so he could see it on himself from the reflection.

"On top...?" Yuuma was a little unsure. Wouldn't it be too much? Even for him...?

"Uh, Haruto? Wouldn't that be too girly?" Natsuki interjected from outside of the dressing room, crossing his arms. He knew what it felt like to not feel 'manly' enough, so he understood why Yuuma was hesitant on it. "Not everyone likes to be feminine."

"Well, not everyone *doesn't* like to be!" Haruto rolled his eyes at Natsuki, knowing that femininity was a touchy topic for him, now turning back towards Yuuma. "So? Will you try it on?"

After a few seconds of thinking, Yuuma begrudgingly nodded. "Actually... yeah, let me try it."

"Fantastic! Here!" Haruto handed Yuuma the skirt and then exited the dressing room.

Yuuma still wasn't convinced about this, but trying wouldn't hurt. He did still think that the skirt was too much. But whatever.

He soon put it on, looking at himself in the mirror and GOD... why did it actually look GOOD???

Yuuma got out of the dressing room so the others could see the new addition to the outfit. And their reaction wasn't unpleasant at all. They all looked very approving of it.

"I knew it would suit you!"

"It really does fit you, Yuuma..."

"It's really nice, dude. And it doesn't really make you look like a chick."

"That was unnecessary."

"Uhm. Thank you guys. Then I'll keep it, I guess..." Yuuma silently stated.

"You really should! I'm sure Teru will love it~" Haruto teased the pink-haired guy again.

"Q-Quit it." Yuuma scowled, letting out a deep sigh.

After this exchange, they all went fishing for accessories. They settled on some simple pink hairclips and a few belts to put around his waist that seemed to have perfected the look.

Yuuma bought the fit and separated from the three, going back home feeling exhausted. Haruto was really tiring to be around... the guy had so energy it felt almost crazy.

The same day, during their nightly practice, the three told everything to Ice Mountain Teru and Tohma. And it resulted in a very flustered Kiyoteru.

"Good job everyone! We're done for today, finally." Akito spoke in relief. Their last practice night for the upcoming concert finally came to an end. Well, now it technically *is* the day of the concert.

"Ughhh... I'm so tireddd..." Natsuki whined, his hands hurt so bad. Akito soon approached him and took his hands in his, gently massaging them. This occurred often after practice. That is why Natsuki isn't complaining about it.

Kiyoteru wasn't visibly nervous as of right now, but Tohma could sense his nervousness in the slight trembling of the bottle as he drank some water. His throat must be really sore...

"Everything okay, Kiyoteru? Tohma asked as he approached the guy, who almost choked on water.

"Y-Yeah, everything okay!" He tried to reassure the older man with a small grin, but it was too wobbly to be taken seriously.

"Hm..." Tohma let out a sigh, before he ruffled Kiyoteru's hair playfully.

"Uwah...!" Kiyotetu whines at the ruffle, trying to push Tohma's hand away. "Quit it, Tohma...!" he pouted.

"Hah, sorry, sorry." Tohma chuckled with a lazy smirk, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulder, pulling him closer. "Come on, you can tell me what's troubling you. And as the older one, I sure am wiser than the others."

"Uh uh... if you say so..." Kiyoteru answered with the most unconvinced tone of voice ever. Maybe Tohma forgot that he never had any kind of romantic relationship, ever. Maybe the one he trusted the most on this subject could be Natsuki. Even if he denies it, Kiyoteru knows that there is something going on between him and Akito.

"Don't give me that look!"

"Alright... fine..."

"I'm a bit anxious because he hasn't still replied to my reply. The one to his duet proposal, remember?" Kiyoteru finally explained, but his gaze was turned down. Maybe he felt a little ashamed of having answered that text a few months later.

"Ohhh..." Tohma nodded, understanding. "Hmmmmmm..." he pulled Kiyoteru a little closer, as if he was going to give him some kind of bad news. "I'm sorry, Kiyo, but... I think he's just giving you the same treatment you gave him!"

"Oh...?" Kiyoteru looked confused for a few seconds. He tilted his head to the side, not understanding such reasoning. "You really think he isn't answering because it took me too much time to reply?"

"Yeah! Exactly!"

"No... that's impossible. I-I mean... he was too excited when he was talking about Teru. I mean, me. I don't think he's that petty..."

"You can never know!"

"Are you two done conspiring over there!?" Haruto called out to Tohma and Kiyoteru, as he, Natsuki and Akito were ready to go home.

"Ah, yes! Sorry guys!" Tohma chuckled, finally releasing Kiyoteru, who sighed in relief.

"What was it about, this time?" Haruto crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the floor in annoyance.

"S-Still about his missing reply..." Kiyoteru mumbled as he was packing his stuff.

"And I tried to give him a reason for it!" Tohma smugly added with a thumbs up. Though, they knew that sometimes his reasons tend to be a bit... exaggerated.

"Ah... about that..."

"Uh..."

"Alright, Tohma..."

"..." "..." "..."

"Don't give me such hard looks." Tohma crossed his arms, turning his head away, almost tsundere-like. Hey! You're not the tsundere of the group! Quit it! "I just told him that Yuuma isn't replying because it took him too long to."

"It would make sense, if it wasn't Yuuma the one we're talking about." Natsuki spoke up, who was leaning heavily against Akito. Back then, when Akito would offer himself for support Natsuki would feel offended. Leaning on another man didn't scream masculinity at all. But now, he didn't mind it anymore. And it was warm.

"That's true. You're the only one who hasn't met him, Tohma." Akito pointed out as he shifted slightly so he could be a better support for Natsuki.

"Ugh! How could I have known that the day I decided to take a nap you were going to meet Yuuma at the mall!?" Tohma stomped, at which Haruto chuckled.

"Next time think twice before you reject us!"

"C'mon, let's go. It's getting late, and Natsuki is tired."

"Huff..."

The group left the room where they practiced, which was part of Haruto's house since he was RICH. Haruto waved the others bye from the gate of his house and then retreated inside.

Tohma was next, as his house was the nearest from Haruto's. Then it would be Natsuki and Akito's turn, since they suspiciously live in the same apartment complex. Kiyoteru would be the last one, and thankfully he lives close by.

"Man... we really should stop practicing so late at night." Natsuki complained, wobbling as he walked. He always complained about their practice nights, but they had no other chance during the week.

"Well, we need this practice, Natsuki. Especially you..." Akito commented with a shrug. Natsuki was the only one who had never picked up an instrument before amongst them. Though, he had an innate talent for the drums.

"Ugh. Shut it." Natsuki groaned, punching Akito's arm. "We could still practice only on weekends. This is so unnecessary."

"Just don't come, then." Akito said with a kind of lightness in his voice, pretending that he didn't care about Natsuki's presence during their practice. He knew it always worked on him.

"UGGGGHHH! You're so unfair." Natsuki almost yelled out of frustration, hitting Akito again, at which Kiyoteru chuckled. Akito loved annoying Natsuki and Kiyoteru found it too funny. "Want some too, Kiyoteru?!"

"N-No! I'm fine!" Kiyoteru waved his hands in the air, still giggling a little.

"Hmpf."

Finally the three reached Natsuki and Akito's apartment. Natsuki waved Kiyoteru bye and climbed up the stairs towards his house. Akito stayed chatting with Kiyoteru for a while. They were best friends after all!

"Cheer up, dude. I'm sure he just hasn't seen the reply yet." Akito tried to reassure the other, patting his shoulder. "He probably is really busy, between his own band and other stuff."

"You're probably right..." Kiyoteru sighed. Akito was right. Yuuma was a busy person too, even if he didn't have a job other than his band. And honestly, their songs slapped, so it was obvious they put a lot of effort in them.

"Besides," Akito started. "You'll have your golden chance tomorrow. Get what I mean?" He then said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What do you... Ah!" Kiyoteru's expression exploded in surprise at the realization of Akito's genius suggestion. "That's so smart...! Thank you Akito!" He then beamed, giving Akito a tight hug, which he obviously reciprocated. He did kind of crush Kiyoteru against himself, though.

After this lovely interaction between brotherly best friends, Kiyoteru and Akito separated.

"Gosh, thankfully we decided not to come along! We would've looked bad next to you, lil bro."

"For real??? You look so nice!"

"Ugh... girls, stop it......." Yuuma whined, his hands on his face to hide the embarrassed blush on it.

Just two hours before the concert. Yuuma was so anxious he felt like he was passing out every 5 minutes. Maybe it was all the coffee he drank since he woke up, maybe it was the fact he was going to actually meet his favorite singer. Just the thought made his legs shake.

Right now, Mizki and IA came to check up on him, and even grabbed some groceries on the way. Yuuma was already ready and didn't know how to spend the time through this endless wait.

"Come on, come help us put away the groceries, Yuuma!" Mizki said as she pulled on Yuuma's arm so he would come help them. This could distract him for some time. Especially when IA and Mizki purposefully messed with the way he put back things.

It can't seriously take an hour and a half to put the groceries in place.

Though it did.

And now Yuuma is on his way to the venue! He's still as anxious, but a lot of it has turned into excitement. He can't wait to listen to his favorite singer, and band, live! AND FOR FREE!!! Yuuma wondered how many people would be there. Maybe enough to at least fill up the venue? Well, anybody could get in, actually. It's a free concert. A genius marketing move, really. Yuuma did the same a few years back, with IA and Mizki. Free concert were the best move to get known by more people.

Yuuma couldn't stop thinking about what kind of face would have that angelic strong voice. He was sure that Teru was handsome. He must be. Since the rest of the band (minus Tohma whom he didn't have the chance of meeting the other day) were all handsome, Teru must be handsome too.

The air today felt nice on Yuuma's face. Maybe it's for the fact that he felt heated for the whole day due to excitement, he even thought he had caught a cold. Luckily he didn't. Well, even if he did, he wouldn't skip this concert for anything else in the world. He felt strangely comfortable in his clothing as well. He had expected to feel far more embarrassed and ridiculous because of the skirt. Maybe it really did suit him.

Ten minutes until the concert starts... Yuuma is finally in front of the venue. He stared at the door for a few seconds, hesitating, before his hand finally grabbed the handle and pushing it open. Inside, there already were a lot of people. Fuck... maybe he should've came earlier. Whatever, it didn't really matter. He can still push his way through the crowd and get in front of the stage.

There was no one on the stage for now, only their instruments. For some reason, it only made the moment feel more real. The lights were still on, but that was normal. Still 7 minutes until the start. Yuuma was still making way through the crowd. It wasn't easy since it was so compact, how annoying...

Three minutes left... Yuuma is finally in front of the stage! It took him a bit but it was worth it. He was right in front of Teru's soon to be place, so in front of the microphone. He could feel his own atoms buzzing in excitement.

Two minutes and the lights are out. People have shushed, silence reigns.

"Welcome to our first concert, Everyone!!!"

Yuuma could recognize that voice anywhere. It was ICE MOUNTAIN TERU'S!!!

"Let's introduce our members for the ones who don't know us!"

Yuuma could feel his heartbeat speeding up. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"For first, our band leader, FIRE MOUNTAIN AKITO!!!"

People screamed for Akito, who walked on the now lit up stage, grabbing his guitar from the stand and waving to everyone with a smug smile, the gentle light from above complimenting his facial features.

"Secondly, our dearest drummer, NATSUKI!!!"

People, again, screamed for Natsuki. He seemed rather shy to have so much attention, to which he answered with a simple grin as he walked towards his drums.

"Next, our energetic keyboardist, HARUTO!!!"

Even more people cheered for Haruto. He skipped on the stage, positioning behind his keyboard as he waved both his arms in the air for the audience. It's understandable why people seemed to like him, he's so flashy.

"Then, our oldest member and bassist, TOHMA!!!"

The audience kept cheering on. Tohma stepped on the stage as elegantly as he could, since that is the way he wants to appear. To him, older means wiser so super polite.

"And last but not least..." Akito was now the one talking, finally presenting Teru. Yuuma could feel himself actually passing out now. He never expected to feel this moment this strongly, but he was doing his best to keep standing upright and not ruining the moment both for him and for everyone else.

"Our singer, ICE MOUNTAIN TERU!!!!!!!!!"

Akito yelled in the microphone, and Yuuma felt dizzy. More lights turned on, mainly on the flashy pink and purple tones. It felt suffocating, so many people around him, many lights shot in so many directions, his body feeling weaker, the weight of the reveal. His heart beat so hard it hurt.

And then...

He came into view.

And he...

"?"

Yuuma's breath stilled.

He was sure his heart skipped a few beats, his hands slammed on his mouth due to shock.

Kiyoteru. That's Kiyoteru.

Just... with cooler clothes, no glasses, hair in a different style.

But it was him. And of course Yuuma could recognize him.

And he looked straight at him, which made his heart skip even more beats. He was going to die in a few seconds, he was sure.

"I would like to thank you all for coming!" Teru, or more like, Kiyoteru smiled at the audience, before he looked down at Yuuma again. And the look in those eyes? Yuuma had never been looked like this before. So tenderly.

"Actually, there is a small surprise for you all, tonight." Kiyoteru said, his eyes never leaving Yuuma's, who was still clearly shocked. The audience waited for Teru's surprise, though not silently.

"I would like to invite someone with us!" He grinned, taking a few steps towards the border of the stage, holding his hand out towards Yuuma.

And Yuuma didn't fail to grab it. And he held on it so, so tightly, Kiyoteru thought it was going to break. He held back as tightly and pulled him up on the stage.

Now, both in front of the microphone, Kiyoteru had an arm wrapped around Yuuma's waist. And Yuuma was thankful for it, since his legs were about to give out.

"Tonight we're hosting another singer on stage with us! VY2!!!!!!"

It felt even more overwhelming when the audience started cheering on for him aswell.

And when his eyes met Mizki and IA's?

He didn't know if he was simply angry or just even more embarrassed. If his cheeks were pinkish before, now they were fully red.

"Hey, Yuuma..." Kiyoteru gently whispered to Yuuma away from the mic, so only he could listen. Yuuma turned towards him, and the only sight of that stupid face of his made him even weaker. "I know this was sudden. I'll explain later. But I'm sure you'll be able to sing along with me."

"Y-Yeah... I won't mess up, don't worry." Yuuma mumbled in a soft tone with a nod. It was impossible for him to mess up an Ice Mountain song. It's all he listens to! "I know these lyrics by heart." He affirmed with a smile, and Kiyoteru reciprocated.

Then he gave a nod to the others, the concert finally starting.

Kiyoteru and Yuuma basically sang their hearts out the whole time, and the audience got even bigger as time passed.

Kiyoteru never let go of Yuuma all through it, and Yuuma had never felt happier. This all felt like a dream.

I mean, what were the chances that his favorite singer was literally the math elementary teacher next door?

Yet it wasn't, the side hug feeling a bit too real not to be.

Honestly, it had been all worth it, if it had to lead to this moment. To THEIR moment.

Their voices together were literally perfect. They fit just like two puzzle pieces of the same kind. This felt like something out of The Cheerful Failure of the Monster Festival. It was oh, so beautiful. Kiyoteru was sure that the others were having a blast as well, he could feel it in the way they played their instruments.

They had practiced so much until this moment and he couldn't feel prouder than this. Especially of Natsuki, who started playing a few months ago. He was better tha any teacher, at this point.

This could easily be the ideal perfect day, something you daydream of when you're bored. I think you can get what I mean.

"Thank you again for coming, everyone!" They yelled towards the audience who clapped at them. It truly had been a wonderful night. The people who came slowly started to leave.

Yuuma leaned heavily against Kiyoteru, taking a deep breath, super tired. Kiyoteru smiled at him, now wrapping both his arms properly around him.

"You really did great, Yuuma..." Kiyoteru whispered as he squeezed the other against him, Yuuma whined a little.

"Ugh, thanks..." He said, trying to get comfortable in the tight embrace. "I kinda feel stupid now."

"Why's that?" Kiyoteru asked, tilting his head to the side. His confused expression was so cute so up close.

"I think it was pretty obvious that you're actually Ice Mountain Teru. I mean, your name is Hiyama Kiyoteru." Yuuma sighed, shaking his head. It was really that crystal clear. And still he didn't notice.

"Ah... well... that's true..." Kiyoteru chuckled softly. "Now you know!"

"Hmpf..." Yuuma proceeded to rest his head against the other's shoulder as they were still hugging. Kiyoteru only brought Yuuma closer to him, nuzzling his face against the crown of his head.

The others didn't dare to interrupt, but they were all giving the two looks. "They're so gay." IA whispered to Mizki, who nodded in agreement.

"So we're not the only couple in the band anymore, huh." Akito commented.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN COUPLE!?!" Haruto interjected in shock.

"..." Natsuki facepalmed. "You're a mess."

"...wait a second."

"Kiyoteru."

"Hm...?" Kiyoteru shiftes in Yuuma's bed, turning around to face the man who was laying beside him on his back.

"Why the fuck didn't you reply to my request?" Yuuma asks, turning his head to glare at Kiyoteru.

"W-What do you mean...? I replied. I'm sure I did..." Kiyoteru replies, sitting up and grabbing his phone from the bedside table. Yuuma sits up as well. "Loo-"

"..."

"..."

Kiyoteru was frozen in place. In his hand, his phone with Yuuma's chat open, the reply still to be sent.

"It... it didn't send..." Kiyoteru was able to mutter, before he slowly laid down again, looking pale even in the dark.

"I can't believe it..." Yuuma sighs loudly, slamming his hands on his face. "How. Just how."

"I just never reopened the chat again..."

"You're a dumbass."

"But it's fine. You're my dumbass." Yuuma finally decided to lay down again, wrapping an arm around Kiyoteru. Then, as he leans closer, he gently places a kiss on the other's cheek.

"Uwah..." Color came back to Kiyoteru's face in a nanosecond. "Hehe..."

"Huff."